The church, located at the foot of the Sacro Monte in Varalllo, has, on the wall that divides the presbytery from the apse, a grandiose fresco cycle done between 1512 and 1513 by Gaudenzio Ferrari which shows the life of Christ in 21 pictures. Santa Maria delle Grazie was flanked by Santa Maria Immacolata, a second church ideally connected to the first by a large arch, in 1486. The construction of the church and the conventual complex are tied to the history of the Sacro Monte and greatly desired by Frate Francescano (Franciscan Monk) Bernardino Caimi. Once a fixture of the Minor Franciscan Monks, the complex has today been entrusted to the Suore Missionarie (Missionary Nuns) di Gesu Eterno Sacerdote. In the square, which during the summer turns into a concert venue, one can view the statue dedicated to Gaudenzio Ferrari.
